My only concern, STANDALONE!

[foxbat121]

The battery won't last long if you talk a lot on it and use watch over cellular connection all the time. 570mah battery can only last that long compared to normal phone that typically is 2000mah and up.

Also, if you use GPS for long run tacking, watch battery runs down fast. The numbers I saw others posted is like around 3.5 hour max.

 

[miroul]

Ok good to know. At least the battery charges fast, so that's a plus. But, don't leave home without a charger if you plan on talking a lot from what i understand...

 

[miroul]

Regarding training, 3.5 hours is fine with me. I run the half-marathon in 1:45 and don't plan on running a marathon any time soon (half-marathon is more than enough for me)

 

[acegolfer]

I searched this thread but didn't find the answer to this specific question.

Q: Do AW gmail/hangouts/lyft functions also work in standalone (LTE) mode connected to a phone 25 miles away?

These apps work when connected via BT. So I presume the answer is yes. Can anyone confirm?

 

[foxbat121]

No, they only work 24 miles away. You are 1 mile too far

Gmail and Hangout do work over cellular network regardless how far away (the key word is 'Internet'). No idea about Lyft because I don't use it.

 

[acegolfer]

Great. I'm heading to the ATT store. Is off-contract price $360? (sorry for side tracking)

 

[tech_head]

Great. I'm heading to the ATT store. Is off-contract price $360? (sorry for side tracking)

Yes

 

[afblangley]

Regarding the Nexus 6p, i have to agree this will be hard to replace. I might end up keeping it for a while, connected to WIFI only, and see if i'm happy with the watch running in stand alone mode (using the SIM card of the Nexus..). If that set up works fine then i'll sell the Nexus and get a good Android tablet. If it does not, i might sell only the Garmin Fenix 3 along with my Huawei watch and put my SIM card back on my Nexus phone while i continue using the LG as a connected device (like i did with Huawei) with the added advantage of having a built-in GPS sensor allowing me to use it as a training watch...

FYI, there are tablets with telephony, making them essentially giant smartphones. For example, all Samsung tablets come in a variant with this capability (I've owned a Note 8 and Galaxy Tab). On T-Mobile and AT&T, they use regular smartphone plans. But if you don't need voice you may be able sweet talk your way into a cheaper data only plan.

 

[miroul]

That is what i am contemplating now (Tablet with data only)... I know my provider here is selling one Samsung 10 inch tablet with LTE capabilities for 169$ (if you take a 2 year 3 GB data plan). Sounds interesting but the plan is actually 35$ per month (after rebate). I live in Canada, prices are high for nothing here.. The other option i think of is to buy a Huawei M2 tablet (8 inch tablet with good enough camera and voice capabilities) for around 350$ CAN and get a normal voice\data plan without contract with 1 GB data for around 25$ per month (unlimited calls). The tablet would mostly be under WIFI network so 1 GB would be enough. I don't do audio streaming at all and prefer to have all music local anyways.

 

[afblangley]

That is what i am contemplating now (Tablet with data only)... I know my provider here is selling one Samsung 10 inch tablet with LTE capabilities for 169$ (if you take a 2 year 3 GB data plan). Sounds interesting but the plan is actually 35$ per month (after rebate). I live in Canada, prices are high for nothing here..

FYI, the Samsung tablet sold by your carrier probably has telephony (microphone, dialer APK, etc) removed, so buy the international version of it if you want the option of using it as a phone. IMHO, Samsung tablets make great phones.

Wireless carrier prices are based on what the citizens can afford. Like Canada, the US is rich, so prices are high for nothing here too. Because I'm ok with having a Mexican phone number, I pay $12/mo to AT&T for a plan (unlimited talk & text with 2 GB data) that works in the US, Canada and Mexico...

 

[miroul]

12$ a month ! Wow that's a bargain...

 

[Jaycemiskel]

That's a huge bargain. I guess people calling you though would have to pay extra because it's a Mexico number.

 

[afblangley]

That's a huge bargain. I guess people calling you though would have to pay extra because it's a Mexico number.

Yep, that is the downside, which would make it a deal killer. But as a Google Voice user, it's not a problem because it's a US number.

 

[afblangley]

Significant progress on the standalone front may be coming soon. Apple has just mandated that future iWatch apps must work independently from the iPhone. If Apple understands the problem, then Google, Samsung, and others will follow suit.
http://betanews.com/2016/04/23/apple-watch-apps-without-iphone/

 

[starcat42]

THANK GOD!

 

[afblangley]

I'd love to hear updates from folks on this thread...
I'll go first. I contemplated but never pulled the trigger on an Urbane 2. I ended up buying a Gear S3 a few months ago. I've been using it as my sole phone along with a tablet for running apps and tasks that demand a bigger screen. My setup is good, but there's always room for improvement. I'm anxiously looking forward to the upcoming AW 2 and LG Watch Sport on February 9.